Italy appoints Roberto Mancini as manager for second time
Mancini’s Return to the Helm
Roberto Mancini has been named manager of the Italy national team for a second time. This appointment follows a period of significant changes within the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), including the resignation of technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo. The decision to bring Mancini back comes after Andrea Pirlo withdrew from consideration for the role due to controversy surrounding his commercial ties to a Russian betting company.
Giovanni Malagò, president of the FIGC, expressed his belief that Mancini was the most suitable candidate for the head coach position. Mancini’s previous tenure with Italy, from 2018 to 2023, saw the team win Euro 2020 by defeating England in the final at Wembley. During this period, the Azzurri also achieved a world record 37-game unbeaten streak.
Despite these successes, Mancini’s earlier stint included the team’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after a play-off loss to North Macedonia, leading to his resignation in August 2023. Following his departure, he briefly managed the Saudi Arabia national team before joining Qatari club Al Sadd, where he won the Qatar Stars League but did not reach the final four of the AFC Champions League Elite and lost in the Qatar Cup final. He left Al Sadd in June.
Managerial Changes and Departures
The managerial position became vacant after Gennaro Gattuso left his role as Italy boss in April. Gattuso’s departure occurred after Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, with his contract terminated by mutual consent. Silvio Baldini, the Under-21 manager, had temporarily taken over following Gattuso’s exit.
The search for a new manager saw the FIGC approach other prominent figures like Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti before Pirlo emerged as a potential candidate. However, Pirlo’s candidacy collapsed due to a conflict of interest related to his commercial partnership with a betting firm. Pirlo stated that he observed the debate surrounding his name with bitterness and criticised attempts to politicise his collaboration, insisting there was no political significance behind his partnership with the Russian firm Fonbet.
The shift towards Mancini and away from Pirlo led to internal disagreements within the federation. Maldini, who had been appointed technical director two weeks prior, and Leonardo resigned after the decision not to appoint Pirlo. Reports indicated that Maldini and Leonardo felt they were not granted the autonomy they had been promised when they joined the project. Their preference for a younger, more “visionary” coach reportedly clashed with Malagò’s emphasis on experienced figures.
Mancini’s Extensive Coaching Career
Mancini’s managerial career began in 2001 with Fiorentina, where he won a Coppa Italia. He then moved to Lazio, also securing a Coppa Italia. His most notable early success came at Inter Milan, where he won three consecutive Serie A titles between 2006 and 2008, accumulating seven trophies during his time with the “nerazzurro” side.
In 2009, Mancini took on the challenge of managing Manchester City, leading them to their first Premier League title in 2012. He later had spells with Galatasaray and Zenit St Petersburg before his initial appointment as Italy manager in 2018. Claudio Ranieri, who famously led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015-16, is set to replace Maldini as technical director.
Italy has not participated in a World Cup finals since 2014, despite their successes in other major tournaments. The team is scheduled to begin their Nations League campaign on 25 September at home against Belgium, followed by an away match against Turkey three days later.
Source: bbc.com
